O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: compression

Apple releases Pixelmator Pro for iPad
At long last, Pixelmator Pro has arrived for the iPad.

Apple on Monday released Pixelmator Pro for the iPad, complete with features such as a new touch-optimized workspace, full Apple Pencil support, the ability to work between iPad and Mac, along with the editing tools from the Mac version.

PIxelmator Pro is an image editing application that was acquired by Apple last year. While there’s already a more basic Pixelmator app for the iPad and iPhone, Apple has stated that the app is “no longer being updated.” As such, in order to eceive new features going forward, iPad users will need to move to the full-fledged Pixelmator Pro app.

Pixelmator Pro for iPad is compatible with iPad models equipped with the A16, A17 Pro, or M1 chip or later on iPadOS 26 or later.

The following are some of the Pixelmator Pro features that have been highlighted by Apple:
- A full-featured Layers sidebar allows creators to use images, shapes, text, and video
- Smart selection tools for isolating and editing specific parts of images
- Advanced bitmap and vector masks
- Super Resolution for intelligently upscaling photos
- Deband for removing compression artifacts
- Auto Crop with automatic composition suggestions
- Apple Pencil support for pressure-sensitive brushing, plus hover, squeeze, and double tap
Pixelmator Pro for both the iPad and Mac is available via the new Apple Creator Studio subscription bundle, which retails for $12.99 per month or $129 per year in the U.S. A one-time $49.99 purchase option remains available for the Mac app.

If you’ve had a chance to try Pixelmator Pro for iPad, please let us know what you make of it in the comments.

Via MacRumors and the App Store
January 29, 2026
Apple acquires French startup Datakalab, may have gained additional AI, computer vision tools

As is sometimes the custom, Apple may have snagged yet another company that specializes in artificial intelligence to help move it closer to its technological milestones.

Apple is reported to have acquired Datakalab, a Paris, France-based startup specializing in both AI compression as well as computer vision technology. Per French business magazine Challenges, the acquisition was finalized back in December.

Datakalab described itself as “experts in low power, runtime efficient, and deep learning algorithms” that work on device.

Per the company’s LinkedIn page, Datakalab described itself as offering “industry leading compression and adaptation to deploy embedded computer vision that is fast, cost-effective and precise.” Prior to the Apple acquisition had between 10 and 20 employees.

From Datakalab’s now-defunct website:
“Datakalab is a French technology company that develops computer image analysis algorithms to measure flows in public space. The images are instantly transformed into anonymized statistical data processed locally in 100ms.

Datakalab does not store any images or personal data and only keeps statistical data. Datakalab products are built according to the principle of ‘Privacy by Design.’:

Datakalab had teamed up with the French government in May 2020 to deploy AI tools into the Paris transportation systems that helped check whether people were wearing face masks during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company also worked with Disney and other partners in the past.

Although neither Apple nor Datakalab have acknowledge the acquisition, Challenges stated that the deal was reported to the European Commission this month. The report also indicated that neither of Datakalab’s two founders chose to join Apple, but multiple other employees did make the jump. Datakalab also held multiple patents related to AI compression and vision technology.

The acquisition comes as Apple is expected to bring a suite of AI features to iOS 18 later this year. Datakalab also developed advanced vision-based technology, which could play a role in Apple’s Vision Pro ambitions into the future. The company’s advanced facial recognition technology could also contribute to things like Photos and Face ID.

Via 9to5Mac, Challenges, The Verge, LinkedIn, mediametrie.fr, and iPhoneSoft

(via iPhoneSoft)

April 23, 2024
Apple commences acquisitions, and strategic hires with focus on bringing generational AI to next-gen iPhones

While it’s sort of a generic rule of the universe that Apple sometimes makes acquisitions and staff hires to cultivate new technologies, the company has been quietly making a series of artificial intelligence-related purchases in a bid to bring on-device AI to its next-generation iPhones,

According to the Financial Times, indications suggest Apple has been focusing on “tackling the technological problem of running AI through mobile devices.” Apple has recently acquired several AI-related startups, the last one occurring early last year when it purchased California-based WaveOne, which offers AI-powered video compression.

Per a recent research note from Morgan Stanley, almost half of Apple’s AI job posts have included the term “Deep learning,” which relates to the algorithms used to power generative AI.

Previous reports have also suggested that Apple has been testing its “Ajax” large language model (LLM) since early 2023, but in contrast to LLMs like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Apple’s primary goal is to develop generative AI that works locally on-device, rather than being powered by cloud services in data centers.

The current R&D challenge involves optimizing the LLM while reducing its size, complete with factoring in heavier reliance on high-performance mobile hardware and faster Apple silicon chips.

As of December 2023, Apple AI researchers said they have made a key breakthrough in deploying large language models (LLMs) on iPhones and other Apple devices with limited memory by inventing an innovative flash memory utilization technique.

Apple is also said to be on schedule to announce a series of generative AI-based tools at WWDC in June, alongside its iOS 18 preview. Morgan Stanley analysts have offered opinions that the mobile software will be geared towards enabling generative AI and could include its voice assistant Siri being powered by an LLM.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Via MacRumors and Financial Times

January 25, 2024
Apple purchases swedish firm AlgoTrim, snags image, video compression assets for mobile devices

The Apple shopping spree continues.

Per Rapidus.se and TechCrunch, Apple has purchased a Swedish firm called AlgoTrim for an undisclosed price. The small company specializes in image and video, specifically JPEG, compression techniques on mobile devices which allow faster processing of images on power-constrained mobile devices.

AlgoTrim develops advanced solutions for mobile devices within the fields of data compression, mobile imaging and video, and computer graphics.

These solutions are designed to excel in terms of high performance and small memory requirements, making them ideal for mobile devices. Many solutions offered by AlgoTrim are codecs that are the fastest on the market, for example, the lossless codec for general data compression and the imaging codecs.

Apple could use these codecs in its camera and image viewing and manipulation apps on iOS. It is probable that the cost of picking up the company and owning the technology outweighed the cost of licensing the technology over its hundreds of millions of devices. This also could be an “aquihire”.

Apple is no stranger to the Swedish technology market. It picked up Polar Rose in 2010, a face recognition company and C3, a Swedish 3D mapping company in the run up to its Maps product launch. Cupertino has been on a bit of a startup binge lately buying such companies as Embark and Matcha.tv.

Last year, AlgoTrim reported a revenue of US$3.0 million, with an net income before taxes of EUR -1.1 million. Until now, AloTrim has been focused mostly on Android development.

As of now, the acquisition has been confirmed to TechCrunch, Apple offering the following quote:

“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

August 28, 2013